Talk abstracts
Talk on Tuesday 02:00-02:20pm submitted by Michael Poirier
The mechanics of unlocking our genes
Michael G. Poirier (Department of Physics, Ohio State University)
Abstract:
The physical organization of all eukaryotic genomes is evolutionarily conserved and functions to regulate gene expression. The molecular basis of this organization involves histone protein octamers repeatedly wrapping genomic DNA into nucleosomes forming long chromatin fibers. This organization controls accessibility of transcription factors to their DNA regulator sites to activate transcription by “opening up” or “unlocking” chromatin. I will discuss strategies transcription factors use to gain access to sites tightly wrapped into nucleosomes. We will find that the interplay between the dynamics of transcription factor binding/dissociation and nucleosome/chromatin DNA compaction is key to understanding transcription factor function. This will allow us to understand how structurally very similar transcription factors can function completely differently as either a canonical transcription factor that requires its target site to be accessible for genome targeting or a master regulator to pioneer gene activation in compacted “inaccessible” genomic regions.
Keywords: Nucleosomes, Transcription Factors, Gene Regulation